Apple has activated new voice customisation controls for its AI-powered Siri in the third iOS 27 developer beta, allowing testers to adjust the assistant’s pace and expressivity for the first time. The two settings, previously flagged as coming soon in earlier beta releases, use sliders to control how quickly Siri speaks and how much human-like emotion its voice conveys, with the assistant demonstrating adjustments through sample phrases during setup.
The update is part of Apple’s broader effort to rebuild Siri around generative AI, first unveiled at WWDC 26 in June. Beyond pace and expressivity, the redesigned Siri allows users to choose from voices with a range of accents, moving personalisation well beyond the binary male and female voice options previously available.
The controls position Siri closer to competitors, though ChatGPT still offers more granular customisation. OpenAIrolled out warmth and enthusiasm sliders in December 2025, alongside options to configure tone across styles including friendly, professional, candid, and quirky, shaping not just how the assistant sounds but how it presents information.
The AI version of Siri is deeply integrated across iOS 27, accessible via voice, a Dynamic Island swipe, the side button, or a new standalone Siri app. Some testers updating to beta 3 have reported intermittent loss of access to the new Siri or unexpected re-indexing of device data, suggesting the build remains in active development.
